The Dream
by JustAThoughtx
Summary: Percy's dream in SoN when he sees Grover and Annabeth. "Are you real?" Annabeth's POV.


**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

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Annabeth sat alone on the beach, her fingers playing with her necklace as she gazed out across the sea. She looked down at the bead she held between her thumb and middle finger: the trident. This was the place she felt closest to him; their spot on the beach, right by the water with the waves occasionally reaching the tips of her toes.

He wasn't dead. She refused to believe that he was dead. She would feel it. _She would know._

There was a logical reason as to why Grover hadn't been able to contact him. There had to be. She just had to figure out what it was.

She'd been over hundreds of possible theories and hypothetical reasons. Maybe Percy just couldn't connect to him, like a phone call; Grover was calling but Percy wouldn't pick up and answer for some reason. Or perhaps he had found a way to break the bond, though that seemed odd. When Grover had suggested breaking their connection before, Percy had been adamant that they should keep it. _But that was years ago. Could he have changed his mind?_

Whichever reason it was, it all came down to one Goddess. _Hera._

_If she had done anything to him… If she'd hurt him…_

Annabeth let go of her necklace and balled her hands into fists, wrapping her arms around herself. She felt a chill settle over her, despite the sun on her skin. She found herself contemplating just what she would do to Hera if he'd been harmed, but was snapped out of her thoughts by the sound of running footsteps and panting breath approaching her. She looked over at the newcomer and saw an out-of-breath Leo Valdez sprinting towards her. His face was flushed red and sweat was glistening on his forehead. Annabeth stood up.

"What is it? What's wrong?" She demanded, trying to squash the panic that was rising inside. Leo came to an abrupt stop and bent over, pulling in a deep breath. Annabeth could practically hear alarm bells ringing and wailing in her head as she took in his appearance and position. Something had happened, something big. Leo Valdez did not tire easily. For him to be in this state, he must have run fast, as if his life had depended on it. _Was that it? Was the camp under attack?_ When he didn't immediately answer her, she stepped forward and grabbed his shoulders.  
"Dammit, Leo! What's happened?"

He straightened up when he heard the desperation in her tone and let out a breathless laugh; a laugh that could have been mistaken for a cough, but there was no mistaking or misinterpreting his grin or the fire dancing in his eyes. "Nothing's wrong," he said. "It's quite the opposite really." He pulled in another deep breath, deliberately dragging it out. He kept his eyes on her face, wanting to see her expression as he said the next part. As she frowned and opened her mouth, he figured he'd let her wait long enough. "Grover's got hold of him."

The reaction was instant and did not disappoint. Her eyes widened and she sucked in a sharp breath, only to choke on it. Leo's grin widened.

There was no doubt in her mind who the "him" was.

"Thank you, Leo." She managed to get out before taking off down the beach. Leo's elated laughter followed her for a short while, but grew quieter as the distance between them increased.

.

She burst in through the door to find Chiron, Jason and Piper gathered around Grover, who had his hands pressed against his head and was muttering.  
She made her way over to the group and looked to Chiron for reassurance. She needed to hear it again. She needed to know that she hadn't misunderstood Leo, or that she hadn't hallucinated and imagined the whole scene.  
Chiron smiled. "Grover's managed to get hold of Percy. We've narrowed down his location to somewhere near San Francisco, though we don't have a clear reading of him. Tyson's in the area so we'll alert him of Percy's whereabouts and with luck, it will take a few days at the most for him to make contact."

Annabeth wanted to hug him. "Is he okay? He's okay, right?"

Chiron nodded his head. "He's alive and healthy, if a little confused."

Grover took that moment to open his eyes and drop his hands. "Blah-ah-ah," he bleated, a frown appearing on his face. "'A little confused'? He doesn't know who I am. He told me he had no change."

"That's all right though," Jason interrupted. "That's just the memory-loss thing. He'll be fine. It's been coming back to me gradually and I've remembered quite a bit more about the Roman camp. I'm sure the same thing will happen to him. No permanent damage."

Annabeth smiled, and for the first time in months it was neither forced or resembled a grimace. It was a genuine smile. She felt completely giddy with… happiness? Relief?  
There was something else too. _Anticipation_. She cleared her throat.  
"Can I try?"

She felt every pair of eyes turn to her and in the corner of her vision, saw Grover and Chiron quickly exchange a glance. It was Piper who spoke though, her whole body projecting sympathy.  
"Maybe it's not such a good idea, Annabeth. I mean, it's likely he won't know who you are…" her eyes flicked to Jason. "He's had his memory wiped."

Annabeth felt a wave of pity for the girl. It must have been incredibly difficult for her to believe someone was her boyfriend for months, only to realise it was just the Mist. She had never met the boy before.  
_But it's different. It's a completely different situation,_ she thought stubbornly. _It's Percy. And it's real. He can't have forgotten who I am._

There was a tiny seed of doubt beginning to grow inside of her, but she tried to push it down. _No, he had to remember her._ But he had forgotten Grover. _He's known Grover longer than me. _She didn't know what she would do if Percy was in a similar situation as Jason and had woken up as somebody else's boyfriend. _What if he falls for her? What if he has no idea who I am and falls for this other girl?_

Chiron looked at Grover, then back at her sadly. "I think Piper's right, Annabeth. We know he's safe. It could be too much for him if we throw in another unfamiliar face. But it's up to Grover, it's his head."

She tried not to flinch at the 'unfamiliar face' part, but was pretty sure she failed when she saw Grover shuffle around in his seat and avoid her eyes. She walked forwards a few steps then dropped to her knees in front of him. She knew the tell-tale signs that he was worrying; his eyes would jump from her, to each exit in the room as if plotting his best chance at escape, and his hands twitched, searching for tin cans to devour. Yes, he was worried, but she was determined. She was desperate.

"I need to see him for myself," she begged quietly.

"Annabeth–" he started, but she cut him off.

"_Please_, Grover?"

He bowed his head in defeat then looked back up at her. "Fine! Yes, all right. But whatever happens… whatever he says… don't take it personally, okay?" She pulled him into a hug and nodded.

_He remembers me. He does. Please, gods, let him remember who I am._

She placed her hands on each side of Grover's head and closed her eyes.

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There was a tug in the pit of her stomach, a moment of dizziness in her head, then weightlessness. She opened her eyes to find sea-green ones looking right back at her. He was standing just an arm length away from her. "Thank the gods!" she cried out. She reached out towards him, only to remember this wasn't real. He wasn't really that close, it was a dream. It was in his head. But that was enough for now. She ran her eyes up and down his body, scanning for anything wrong. _No visible physical injuries, Chiron was telling the truth. His health is in good condition._ "For months and months we couldn't see you! Are you all right?"

Percy looked at her blankly then blinked at her a few times. He looked stunned. Annabeth panicked.

_Please, gods. Mom, please let him remember me. Aphrodite, I'll never laugh off your ideas or doubt you again. Poseidon, Zeus, Hades. I'll offer up my entire dinner, desert and all. Hera, I know you hate me but please just give me this. Please just let him remember me._

Percy's mouth opened and closed a few times, making no sound, but his eyes lit up. _Recognition._ Whether it was her plea to the gods or something else, she didn't know. To be frank, she didn't care. The only thing that mattered was that he recognized her. He remembered her. He knew who she was.  
"Are you real?" he muttered.  
Relief crashed over her and more than anything, she wanted to throw her arms around his neck and cry. _He remembered her._

_Thank you, thank you, thank you._

She felt her eyes start to prickle, but forced back the tears. In the back of her mind she noticed she was talking, rambling about him staying where he was, Tyson would get him. But neither of them were paying attention to her words.

They were both there, unharmed, euphoric.

The connection cut and Annabeth found herself kneeling in front of Grover again. She shared a look with him and the next second they were both laughing hysterically, holding onto each other with goofy grins plastered on their faces_. He was okay. After months of worrying and fearing the worst, Percy was okay._

"You have some food offerings to pay up," Grover said, the grin still on his face.

"Thanks, Grover."


End file.
